Rumour Vs Reality
by badly-knitted
Summary: Ianto thought he knew just what to expect when he chose to use Jack as his way into Torchwood. He was wrong. Written for Prompt #432 - Expectations at slashthedrabble. Spoilers for Fragments, Cyberwoman. An extended version of the 500-word ficlet I posted for the challenge.


**Title:** Rumour Vs Reality

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, Jack, Lisa.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Spoilers:** Fragments, Cyberwoman.

**Summary:** Ianto thought he knew just what to expect when he chose to use Jack as his way into Torchwood. He was wrong.

**Word Count:** 831

**Written For:** Prompt #432 - Expectations at slashthedrabble.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.

**A/N:** An extended version of the 500-word ficlet I posted for the challenge.

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During his time working for Torchwood One, Ianto had heard all the rumours about the infamous Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood's Cardiff branch. He would have taken them with a grain of salt, but everyone he'd spoken to had insisted they were the gospel truth. By reputation, Harkness was supposed to be devastatingly gorgeous but cocky, a shameless seducer of anyone and everyone, regardless of gender or marital status, a loose cannon, and a law unto himself.

With that in mind, when Ianto found himself in need of a way into Torchwood Three, so that he could use their facilities and contacts to help Lisa, the obvious route was through the Captain's libido. Anyone that arrogant, not to mention indiscriminate, should be an easy target, especially since he was reputed to like men as much as he liked women. The way Ianto saw it persuading Captain Harkness to give him a job shouldn't prove that difficult, and besides, surely it was about time someone turned the tables on him by not giving in to his charms. No matter what people said about the Captain's charms, nobody was as irresistible as all that.

Armed with all the known facts about his target, Ianto set about tracking Harkness down and putting his plan into action, only to have his expectations completely confounded. Oh, the Captain was arrogant all right, and definitely gorgeous, as well as being an incorrigible flirt, but he was also charming, spontaneous, funny, and genuinely likeable, with a smile so wide and white that it took Ianto's breath away and made him want to smile back, giddy as a teenager.

When Ianto got what he was after, being told to report for work the next morning, instead of being elated he felt ashamed. How could he possibly go ahead with his plan now he'd spent time with the man? He wasn't sure whether he could bring himself to use Harkness that way. He'd be abusing the man's trust to achieve his own goals, and that was neither right nor fair. Jack Harkness had done nothing to him to deserve such underhanded treatment. Ianto's conscience pricked uncomfortably at the thought but he ruthlessly shoved his doubts aside. He had no choice in the matter; he was Lisa's only hope, he couldn't let anything dissuade him from doing what had to be done. He'd just have to harden his heart and get on with it.

But with the passage of time, things only got worse. Ianto had thought he could flirt with Harkness, keep him interested without giving in to his advances, then as soon as Lisa was cured they could make their escape. Unfortunately things weren't working out quite the way he'd planned. The trouble was, Jack was so gently persistent. He never pushed, never forced, only coaxed, a look here, a touch there, the lightest brush of lips against lips, just enough to tease and entice, and… Ianto wanted him. He couldn't help himself, it had just been so long since someone had touched him that way, and he craved that human contact so desperately. It wasn't all that long before he ended up in the Captain's bed, or over his desk, or up against a wall. It hardly seemed to matter where, just as long as it was Jack, making him feel more alive than he had in months.

Every time it happened, Ianto told himself this would be the last time, and every time, it never was. Deep down, he knew he should feel bad about cheating on Lisa, but when he was with Jack he couldn't think about anything, or anyone, else. Nothing existed for him except Jack, his lips, his hands, his body, and the ecstasy he provided. Ianto justified every encounter by telling himself he was only doing it to keep Jack distracted, but deep down he knew that was a lie. He was doing it because he wanted to, even needed to, and yet the more he was with Jack the more guilty he felt about betraying a man he was beginning to have strong feelings for. It wasn't like what he shared with Lisa, but it already went far beyond mere physical attraction, and worse, it wasn't all about the sex. Ianto liked spending time with Jack, chatting idly about this and that, especially in the afterglow when they snuggled together wherever they might be, Jack's fingers idly stroking along Ianto's arm, an oddly tender gesture from such an energetic and passionate man. Lisa had never been a snuggler, claiming it made her too hot.

Everything was starting to come apart around Ianto. Despite all his plans and expectations, the one thing he could neither have planned for nor expected was to find himself falling in love with Jack. He didn't want to, knew it could spell disaster, but he was powerless to stop, drawn in deeper and deeper with every encounter, and he had no idea what to do about it.

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The End


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